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http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/choosing/petshops.html (please note, the red are NPMVA editorial comments)
Pet Shops
Many people stroll through malls, glance up at just the right moment, and fall in love with a cat, bird, dog, or even an iguana in the pet-store window. While pet shops are a great place to buy food, toys and other
pet-related essentials, they are not your best bet for a four-legged friend.
Yes, the above is true - pet shops are not good places to get pets for many reasons.
First, the staff often is poorly educated about proper care (and I can relate some doozies about lousy information I have heard given about many species: not only do I have an extensive background with dogs, but also with rabbits and guinea pigs). Second, there are mill breeders for every species out there. Third, animals are not properly socialized. Fourth, anyone over the age of 18 can buy a pet. Too easy to impulse buy and then trouble can happen.)
Many pet stores do get their puppy stock from reputable breeders, but there are stores that buy their furry inventory from puppy mills. Breeding dogs en masse for profit (and not much else), puppy mills usually keep
dogs in vile, inhumane conditions, with cages crammed together, no socialization of dogs with each other or with humans, and poor cleaning and feeding conditions. These circumstances do not produce well-adjusted
dogs. Puppy-mill dogs are often in poor health and tend to be nervous, distrustful and hard to train, and may develop behavior problems that can never be overcome, even by the most patient, loving owner.
Here is where we see things falling apart: NO REPUTABLE BREEDER SELLS TO PET SHOPS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THE TYPE OF CARE THE ANIMALS ARE GETTING WHEN THEY ENTER THE STORE AND
THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE BREEDER TO KNOW THE TYPE OF HOME THE ANIMAL IS GOING TO. Again, no reputable breeder sells to pet stores or to brokers. They sell out of their home.
Pet stores tend to regard dogs as "merchandise," but these outfits don't always have a return policy or other guarantees in case you have taken home an unhealthy dog. Some stores, however, have arrangements
with local animal shelters to display and find homes for shelter dogs. The care the animals receive in these stores is comparable to that of a shelter — generally higher than in most pet shops — and in return for
their effort, the stores benefit from selling food, toys and other essentials to the adoptive family. Before you buy your puppy from a pet store, ask the store manager who supplies the animals — and insist on
documented proof.
If you want to truly help pets, find a store that does not sell animals but does bring in shelters to do adoption fairs.
And the care stores give to pets is NOT comparable to those in shelters. Remember, the animals in shelters are often unwanted pets. Shelters try to do the best they can with the animals to help place them. But pet stores should NOT be compared to shelters at all as stores bring in dogs as merchandise and do what they can to sell the animals. Shelters do all they can to find the right match and NOT let just anyone take the critters. Yes, the adoptive animals may receive decent care at the stores, but look at how other animals are cared for. Walk down the row of fish tanks for example and count the dead fish. In one of these stores, I counted five dead fish in a single tank. All the fresh water tanks had at least one dead fish, the store was quiet and NO ONE was removing the carcasses, even when informed. How good is this care? I have also removed visibly sick animals from these stores and lodged complaints with managers and regional representatives. Never has one responded to or acted upon a complaint.
I am not pleased with parts of AP's view on pet stores. And you can tell which one and why.
Pet stores should never be visited to purchase a pet UNLESS it is during an adoption fair and you are adopting from a humane society setting up there.
Over the past couple of years, I have become increasingly disturbed with the lack of quality programming Animal Planet has been airing.
Some series are giving out incorrect information about breeds, others are often glorifying breeding and show even irresponsible breeders breeding because they think their pets will make cute babies, other series show irresponsible dog owners not taking proper responsibility for their dogs, and make it look humorous. Sadly, Animal Planet Network is not what is was when it first came out. The educational aspect is gone in many respects and the irresponsible attitudes of too many humans is influencing the quality of programming.
And their responses when contacted: well it sells ratings. Maybe so, but does it do anything to properly educate pet owners?
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